


Sky at Twilight (Purple and Red and Orange)

by runeofluna



Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore
Genre: Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-10-06 20:53:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20513336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/runeofluna/pseuds/runeofluna
Summary: You are Adonis.You are at a crossroads - you could stay with the goddess who is by all rights your mother, or you could follow the other goddess and leave your home behind.You choose to leave.(It is not for a reason one may expect.)





	Sky at Twilight (Purple and Red and Orange)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LuciferxDamien](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuciferxDamien/gifts).

“Why? Why would you choose to leave us, Adonis? Why would you choose Aphrodite over your own family?”

Persephone’s voice is soft yet trembling as she calls out to you. Your back is turned to her - you cannot find it in yourself to look at her in the eye - look at your mother in the eye - not with the shame weighing down your chest.

You have never wanted to hurt her. The last thing you would ever want to do is hurt her, yet it seems you can only choose what type of pain to leave her with, that you can live with yourself.

You hope she will forget you soon. You hope her pain will fade quickly - after all, you are but a mortal man, and what is less than half a century to a goddess? - but you know better. She is your mother and no mother ever truly forgets her children.

“Adonis? Take care of yourself. Know that you are always welcome here.”

It is Hades’ voice that reaches your ears, as you grab Aphrodite’s hands to follow her out of the Underworld. His voice is somehow still warm, despite your actions causing his beloved wife tears, and you feel a rush of affection fill your heart with a warm glow, feeling all the more ashamed for it. You cannot stop yourself from clinging to those words, but manage to resist the urge to turn around and refuse to leave his home.

He is your mother’s husband.

You refuse to betray your mother.

* * *

You are sitting outside in the garden, feeling the rain drop down onto your skin. You wonder how it is possible to rain in the Underworld. Perhaps Hades did something to ensure Persephone’s garden could still prosper, with both rain and sunlight allowed only here.

You hear your mother’s gown swish as she heads towards you. Your relationship has been strained for the first couple of years since your choice. You did not dare approach her, too afraid to confess your woes, selfishly desiring your mother’s comfort - and the last thing your mother needs is to know how deep your betrayal runs. Far deeper than your choice to simply leave.

“Adonis? Why are you staying out in the rain?”

You startle as you turn around. It was not only your mother in the garden - the low timbre of Hades’ voice makes you flush with warmth despite the rain. You desperately hope that your mother does not notice.

“I simply wanted, wanted to… uh, that is… enjoy the gardens! The fresh rain is invigorating.”

You stammer out, completely forgetting all manners your mother has instilled in you. How this man - no, god, remember your place, he is your mother’s lord husband - could make you lose your composure as if you were still a young boy and not a man of age to be married… You blush again as you hastily turn your head away, that was not a trail of thought you want to follow. You would wish for Thanatos to take pity and reap your soul away, if only your mother and Hades were not rulers of the Underworld - there is nowhere you can hide from their sight in this realm.

“...Do you miss the world above? The world of the living?” Your mother - your dear, beloved mother, if you even still have the right to call her that - quietly asks you. “If that is what you want, I - we - will not keep you here, not against your wishes.”

Your eyes lock on to her. It takes you a moment to process her words.

“No!”

The word slips out before you can think better of it. Your lips betray you as they keep rambling.

“Please don’t send me away, I don’t want to leave - I never wanted to leave!”

Hades’ eyes widen in surprise even as Persephone hurries to answer, in a heartbroken voice, “Oh, sweetheart, I would never send you away if I have a choice, but if your words are true, then why? Why did you leave? Please, my dear child, if it is something we can change I promise we will, please tell me  _ why _ .”

You despair as your words come pouring out. You only hope that your mother would not be disgusted with you, should she know your deepest shame. You could not live with yourself should she despise you, but death would only chain you to her realm.

“I - it was never about you, I would swear to all the gods above that it wasn’t, I simply did not wish to hurt you, to shame you with my depravity. How could I stay here when my heart longs for your husband, not realizing my place as but a simple mortal? I knew that should I choose to stay I may hurt you far deeper than I ever could with my absence - mother, I mean, Lady Persephone, I would give you my most solemn oaths that I would keep to myself, please do not send me away, I beg of you-”

Hades actually takes a step back away from you, and your cheeks burn with humiliation and shame - of course he is shocked, you in one breath call his wife your mother even as you confess your attraction to him - while your mother simply blinks. Her face is frozen and you cannot begin to guess what she is thinking.

Her next words surprise you.

“Oh, Adonis, why would you ever think I would be hurt less by your leaving? If you love my lord husband, you should have simply told me.”

Hades turns a baffled look at his lady wife. You are absolutely certain that your expression mirrors his.

“I know that while you are my son in all ways that count, my dear husband, being an emotionally stunted man terrified of young children, has not been around enough in your childhood for you to consider him your father. If you love him then I would certainly not have stopped you - although I do hope you will tell me should he upset you, that I may know and appropriately express my disappointment in him.”

Here your mother shoots Hades a glance heavy with meaning, and he clears his throat as he turns towards you. He looks as if Cerberus has refused meat. The random thought makes you almost want to giggle - you absently wonder if you’re in shock.

“I… admit to observing that you have grown pleasing to the eye, and your presence has always brought joy… that is, while I am not opposed to attempting this, much of our interactions have always had Persephone between us. I believe that we should have more conversations to see how… compatible we are, before anything else.”

You laugh as you throw your head up. You aren’t certain if the water on your face is the rain or your tears of joy. The sky above is like that of twilight - fitting for the realm of the dead. Purples and reds and oranges swirl in a beautiful harmony. You hope this is a sign of what is to come.


End file.
